By Joyce Ojanji
Of the twelve winners announced in the second International Ranger Awards for their extraordinary commitment to protecting nature and helping local communities, five hail from Africa.
The award ceremony took place during the International Union for Nature (IUCN) Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC) in Kigali, Rwanda.
Those awarded include Nyaradzo Auxilla Hoto of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF), and the Anti-Poaching Tracking Specialists k9 unit from Save Valley Conservancy in Zimbabwe; Ali Hassan Ali of the Bura East Community Conservancy and Popote ole Sapulai of the Kimana sanctuary from Kenya; and Congo’s Yyondji community eco-guards from the Yyondji Community Bonobo Reserve.
Other winners include Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve Ranger Team (Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve, India), Masungi-Bayog Ranger Team (Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape, Philippines), Tiger Protection & Conservation Unit (Kerinci Seblat National Park, Indonesia), Jorge Banegas Franco (Parque Nacional y Área Natural de Manejo Integrado Pantanal de Otuquis, Bolivia), Hector Luis Espinoza Acevedo (Paso del Istmo Wildlife Corridor, La Flor Wildlife Refuge, Nicaragua), Felipe Otoniel León Angel (Parque Nacional Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, Mexico) and Ben ‘Yuddiy’ Brown (Pila Nature Reserve, Australia).
The president of the International ranger federation, Chris Galliers, lauded the winners for their extraordinary stories of courage and commitment while congratulating them for their diversity.
“They (winners) include women, men, and young people and a very high proportion of them are members of the local communities where they work. This diversity is what the international ranger federation is striving for in the sector, as it is the key to tackling the complex challenges of climate change and biodiversity,” he said.
While applauding the work done by the rangers, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas Chair Madhu Rao noted that they face tremendous difficulties and threats in their work.
‘Their work is vital yet unrecognized. They risk their lives, live under difficult conditions, and spend long, arduous hours on the field to protect wildlife and secure protected areas. The world’s rangers are the unsung heroes and heroines of conservation,’ she said.
The winners, including the winning teams each received US$10000 to support the protected and conserved areas where they work and a custom patch uniform to signify their achievements.
The first edition of the awards was held in 2021 virtually and ten winners including indigenous communities ,pioneering women rangers ,volunteer teams and conservation veterans were feted.
